Goodnight, Mr Abbadon
by LeYenrz
Summary: Twins fused together in one being, souls refusing to merge. Stripped of their immortality, how will the newly named Len and Rin live on their own when they can't even stand each other? A Remake of the original Right Side of Day, Left Side of Night
1. Beginnings

**Chapter 1**

When the day of banishment finally arrived, the goddess of the light commanded the soon to be outlaws to take their physical remnant of immortality with them. They were very small: only two small shards. Rilianne's was crystal clear, while Allen's was made out of a material similar to onyx. The remnants' only purpose was to remind the two of their sin; the objects had little to no power encased within them.

When Neru Akari banished them, their minds went dark. It was at that moment when the two couldn't feel anything save for an ominous chill running down their spines. Due to the male twin being the more dominant one, the two instantaneously materialized on Earth just as the last rays of the sun were leaving the face of the land. When the two former immortals came to, they realized that they were in what seemed to be in an abandoned alleyway. The newly named Rin grimaced and shot a deceitful glare at her twin brother.

"I still loathe you with all my being," She sneered as the final speck of sunlight disappeared. Then she was no more.

Len was surprised when his sister disappeared, but soon after he felt relieved. He didn't want to face another pointless argument with her. The former god of truth always found his twin to be somewhat of a nuisance; someone that was below him and not worth his time. After a hundred years of war, Len almost felt glad to be here.

The young man rose from his sitting position and exited the alleyway to examine his surroundings. The alley led to a street with only a few people. Some were rushing to return home for supper, others were loafing around with nothing to do. Len realized after a short while that he was in a small city. Its nightlife was awakening as streetlamps began to light; bars were opening, and more people were beginning to walk about. There seemed to be some sort of festival happening as people were acting festive and many groups of men and women were shuffling around in strange attire and children were celebrating.

It was at that moment when the blonde realized how chilly it was. A frigid breeze was whipping its way about the street where he stood as he resisted the urge to clutch his arms to conserve warmth. Len realized that it must be wintertime, telling from the weather and the small clumps of snow gathered near the sides of the street. His clothes were different as well: he wore a long-sleeved black chemise with black trousers. He also had boots that were as dark as the rest of his attire.

Len decided to keep walking in search of some shelter and keep himself warm. He realized that he had no place to go; neither did he have any currency that humans called "money". The young man was, in a nutshell, a homeless mongrel. He grasped the realization that if he didn't act soon, he would freeze in the streets or starve.

He heard a clink of metal right in front of him.

His mind was pulled out of the turmoil of his thoughts and worries and looked down to see the origin of the sound. It was a gold coin. Len picked it up quickly and looked around for its owner but could find no one around. The coin seemed to be old and scratched up; it must have been lost a while ago. Len smiled in his good fortune. It was gold, so it must be worth a decent amount. He saw an inn in the distance and headed straight toward it. Perhaps he could afford to stay a night.

When he opened the door, he was greeted with a welcome blast of warmth from a fireplace in the lobby. A buzz of guests in the bar of the inn hung in the air, along with the clinking of beer glasses and silverware.

Len saw the innkeeper at the front desk and greeted him. The innkeeper seemed to be a mellow middle-aged man who eyed him curiously.

"What's your business here, young man?" He asked.

Len approached him with the gold coin in hand. "Excuse me sir, but can I possibly afford a stay at this inn with this?"

The man seemed surprised. "That should be enough to afford you around two nights here. But I don't believe I've ever seen a fellow like yourself around here…"

"Are travelers not common in this town?" Len asked.

"Actually, they usually aren't," The man said somewhat regrettably. "But right now they are. The Festival of Light is going on right now and all of the bars and inns are crowded. I'm sorry, blondie, but this place is filled to the brim as well. It's probably going to stay like this for the next week."

Len frowned, reminded of the goddess that had banished him, and turned away to leave. But the innkeeper stopped him just as he was about to leave the door.

"Hey, for your troubles, I'll offer you a pint here at the bar here," the man said sympathetically. "It'll be on the house."

Len did feel famished… "I'd prefer to pay my fill here, sir," he said as he turned around. "I'd feel bad if I didn't."

"You look like you're a fella that needs some help. Just take my offer."

The young man smiled at the innkeep and shook his head as he chuckled, "I'm an honest man. I'd regret it."

"Then at least take a discount!"

Len appreciated the man's persistence and finally took his offer with gratitude. He headed over to the bar and sat at the only table left, one for two. It was empty.

There were drunkards all around him. Some were playing cards, others were partying as they drank and ate merrily. He didn't really understand what about the goddess of Light there was to celebrate, but he quietly sipped at the pint that the barkeep had given him. Len was secretly glad that he was alone. He needed time to think about his predicament.

A server approached his table to ask if there was anything else he wanted to order. He glanced up at the waitress. She was modestly dressed, with her dress being quite plain and simple. Her hair was an unusual color: a dark teal with a slight gradient of brown. It was tied up in a complicated bun to compensate for its seemly long length. Some hairs were loose of the bun and were messily tousled about her face, most likely caused by a long shift at work.

"I'd like a meat pie and another pint," Len requested. He noticed that her eyes seemed fatigued and empty. A few hours had passed since nightfall. She nodded and left, leaving Len alone once more to sip away the rest of his beer. He was starting to feel a bit sleepy as the same waitress returned with his order.

"Here it is," she said softly as she placed his order on the table. "A meat pie and pint."

The blonde smiled and looked up at the young woman. "Thank you for your service. I appreciate your dedication, milady."

She seemed surprised at his comment and looked at him. "…You're welcome, sir. Is there anything else you'd like?"

Len took a sip of beer before speaking. "Perhaps…could you tell me what the date is? I can't seem to remember."

Again the young woman was bemused. "It's November 25, sir."

"You seem surprised. I'm guessing that you don't really talk to your customers that often," He remarked.

"Yes…" She let out a small chortle. "They're usually drunkards, busybodies, or perverts.

Len smiled again. "I'm also guessing that you're wondering why I'm asking commonplace knowledge such as the date."

"Y-yes," She started laughing again.

"I'm just a lonely traveler. I lost track of the days a while ago," He chuckled, glad that he had managed to cheer her spirits.

"If so, I'm guessing that you're staying at this inn," She replied.

"Actually, I'm not…" He remarked and proceeded to explain his predicament. The young woman nodded in understanding and spoke sympathetically to him. "That's too bad. I know that all of the other inns are crowded as well."

More bad news. Len sighed in response. Today was a good day for sighing…

"I can offer you my abode to stay in for a while," She said. "I wouldn't like someone such as yourself freezing in the streets.

The young man's spirits were also lifted by her kind offer. "Milady, I don't think I can express enough gratitude for your kindness!"

She smiled softly and shook her head. "That's fine. I live alone so I don't really have anything to lose anyway. My shift is almost over as well."

* * *

It was a long ways to her dwelling. She lived alone in the forest, half of a mile from the town. Len still shivered, as nighttime is always more frigid than the daytime.

At last the two arrived at her cottage. It was small, with only a few windows. But it was a well-kept place with a small garden beside it with crops of winter vegetables growing within. When they entered, the young lady rushed to light the hearth and lamps throughout the house to invite warmth to the humble abode. Len decided to recline on the sofa for a while as the woman retreated to her room, the only other room in the cottage.

He took the time to analyze the parlor. There was a small area in the corner where a blacktop stove sat with its long fat smoke pipe stretching out through the ceiling. A small clock sat on the coffee table beside the sofa. It read nine o'clock. Just reading the time seemed to be soporific to Len, since he yawned as a result. The furniture in the room was very modest and lacked fancy in any way. The furniture probably reflected the personality of their owner.

The young lady finally and suddenly emerged from her room clothed in a nightdress. When she gazed sprawled over the fabric of the sofa, dirtying it whilst he yawned absentmindedly, folding his hands behind his head lazily. As benevolent as she was, the woman stared at him angrily for a time. It wasn't until she cleared her throat when Len finally realized that he was being watched. He turned his head to face her but remained in his reclining position.

"Oh, I'm sorry, milady. What are you upset about?" He asked sincerely.

She huffed, "How rude it is to just sprawl yourself out upon my furniture! Don't you see? You're dirtying the material!"

Len, surprised and angered, immediately reverted to a proper sitting position and spoke his apologies. "Er, I'm very sorry. I-I don't believe I knew that this was improper conduct."

"I thought that was just common sense!" She vocalized her frustrations. "What kind of man are you to think that the moment you lodge at someone's abode, you can just do whatever you like?"

The poor blonde was unaccustomed to this world's code of conduct. Afterall, he wasn't used to being treated as an equal since his former godly status never called for a reprimand for such behavior. Thus, it made sense for him to be confused and angered.

Len contemplated on what to do for a moment, then decided that the best way to handle such a situation was to just be honest and not uphold any ideals. Act cool. "Truly, I didn't know that such a thing was improper," the young man looked straight in her eyes, enacting a pained tone within his voice. "And I am embarrassed to say that I don't. Forgive me."

The woman was surprised to hear such sincerity behind a simple apology. This man was apologizing as if he had just burned her entire house down; for goodness's sake all he did was put his feet on her sofa!

"…Don't fuss too much about it. It's not too big of a deal…" She puffed while looking away.

"Thank you." Len's wounded demeanor disappeared. "…Oh. It seems a bit silly to ask this now, but I seem to have not asked you for your name."

The lady gawked at him in surprise, realizing her fault. She had let a guest enter her home, and she didn't even know his name. Neither did he know hers. Her expression stiffened as she cringed in embarrassment. "I apologize for my ignorance. M-my name is Miku Caraground…"

Strange name, he thought. "My name is A…no. Len Abbadon."

"Good," She stammered. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Abbadon."

The two shook hands on it. At that moment, the two felt the tension within the room dissipate somewhat. Relieved, Len looked at his hostess again and asked another urgent question.

"Ms. Caraground, where am I to sleep?"

Dumbfounded, she thought for a moment and realized that there was no other bed or cot to be had in this house other than her bed. "The only other bed here is my own…"

The blonde smirked with debonair charm. "Then you don't mind sharing it?"

"You can't be serious," She laughed, ending her sentence with a sharp glare.

Len let out a slight chortle. "No, it was only a jest. I'll just sleep here on this sofa if you don't mind."

"S-sure…"

She proceeded to stare at him in silence for a few more moments, the decided to retreat to her own room for the night.

"Goodnight, Ms. Caraground," Len called out somewhat cheerily.

She looked back at him, her eyes showing an amalgamation of confusion, awkwardness, and curiosity.

"Good night, Mr. Abbadon."


	2. An Interlude

**Chapter 2**

The moment Len had drifted off into sleep, a sharp ray of light seemed to pierce through the curtain of his eyelids. He winced, harshly exclaiming,

"What the-!"

The light died the moment his cry rang out.

"Brother…?"

His eyes opened once more in confusion. Only one person would have said such a word to him. Lo and behold, his sister was sitting before him with a contorted expression that he could only express as shock. Where was he?

Len immediately noticed the strangeness of his surroundings. Other than his sister, Rin, he could only see white. It was nearly blinding, but the shock of the monochrome room was dulled by the sudden awakening he had just experienced.

"Where am I, Rilianne? Why are you here? Why are _we_ here?" He murmured harshly. This was easily one of the more undesirable circumstances that he had ever been thrown into.

The young woman's eyes met his for a moment, but they darted away instantly. Her disgust for her brother was still prevalent. She wrapped her arms around her legs, as if attempting to protect herself, and she hid her face in her knees.

"I…I don't know. I've been here ever since we've been banished. No doubt you've been up to something though," She glared at him once again through the gaps in her hair.

Len relaxed, as the tension of the moment was weakening. He began to think as to why this was happening, and if he would ever make it back to where he once was. But he suddenly began to recall what the queen of light had told them before their banishment.

* * *

" ** _Enough!"_**

The shout that thundered across the heavens frightened both sides of the crowd of immortals. Everyone scrambled to get into order as a piercing light shown in the horizon began to quickly advance towards the group. Fear began to bud in everyone's hearts. Their sins must be paid for.

The ominous yet awesome voice thundered out once more, and every soul in the realm bowed in its direction. The clouds parted, the darkness fled, and any form of malice or mischief disappeared before the light's presence. This was the power of the Queen of Heaven, the goddess of Light.

When the mist cleared, a woman clothed in pure light appeared before the crowd. "I call forth Allen and Rilianne, the cause of this horrible feud and mess!"

Everyone disappeared into thin air leaving only two beings, a man and woman. Twins. They stood before her, pale in complexion and bent over in reverence. Their bright, golden locks of hair shook slightly and quietly in fear as the silent duo remained stationary.

"I said to come forth."

The duo slowly walked toward to the queen of heaven and light, Queen Neri, armed with a large staff made of pure gold with a crown to match. The two gods both reluctantly bowed once more and arose to face the royal immortal.

"I thought the two of you had declared a peace treaty. So tell me, why you two are still causing such bloodshed?!" The queen bellowed at the two white faced twins.

"I side with truth," the immortal named Allen murmured.

"And I side with ideals," said the other twin.

"And everything we do affects the other based on opinion and fact. I despise her and she feels the same for me," Allen said coldly at the mention of his sister.

"But do you know what the price will be for this continuation of some little argument? The 'little' skirmish that has expanded to a huge civil war that has already ravaged the earth?" Neria Akita asked the two immortals.

"N-no, Queen Neri," Rilianne muttered, trembling in fear.

"I already warned you before. But I must enforce such punishment. The two of you will be stripped of everything you consider precious. Your holy names, your place as gods, your position in the high court, and yes…even your immortality."

There was silence between the three immortals as the sentence bore deep into the hearts of the twins. Crushed, Allen whispered, "And we lose our place in this realm?"

The queen glared at him for even questioning such a thing. "Of course you two will. You were only minor gods anyways.

She paused, "The two of you will be fused into one being. You two will be chained together for life. As long as the sun shines, Rilianne will exist. As for Allen, when the sun disappears, only then will you appear and your twin will disappear. Only your souls will not be chained together. The two of you may argue as much as you like in your conscious. Entertain yourselves by arguing for as long as you'd like. _Without_ sacrificing anymore lives."

"Y-yes, your majesty…" The two twins croaked meekly, obviously shocked by their punishment.

She turned to Rilianne, "As for your new names… Rillianne, you are no longer a fair flower. Be condemned, for you are cursed to live a cold life. I name you, Rin."

Neri turned to her left. "You are no longer a man of noble conscience, Allen. Till your death, may you remain hardy and as bold as you have been to get yourself banished out of heaven. I name you, Len."

The queen turned her back on the two, casting her shadow upon their figures. "You must leave this realm to the Earth by sunrise."

And the queen was gone with a flash of light.

* * *

Len tried his best not to wince at the memory. "Rili…Rin. Do you recall what Queen Neri said abou-"

"BE QUIET!"

Len bit his lower lip, bothered by her rude outburst.

"I'm not STUPID! I-I remember now..." Her hollers were followed by quiet sobs. Len looked at his sister, still curled up tightly. He saw her tears dripping down to her knees. "This is what she meant by arguing in our consciences..."

He watched her quietly as she continued to sob in silence. His sister had always been one for being superfluous when it came to emotions. Not as if he cared anyways.

"Rin."

She turned to give him a piercing glare.

"Let's just put this behind us. I don't want to make amends and such, as I don't care. But I wish to put this behind us because there is obviously no point anymore. We have nothing else to lose. Nothing else at stake. Even our pride has been stripped away. So let us go our separate wa-"

"Quiet, Allen!" Rin seethed, obviously ignoring his name. "Have you no shame? Have you no remorse? This is why I _hate you._ But now I'm stuck with you. We can't just go our 'separate ways'. Our existences are chained together. I'm stuck here with you until the damned sun rises. I can't even stand being here, because YOU'RE here with me. You're always so cold and unfeeling, always thinking about what's next, never thinking about the ideals and feelings that you're toying with. And now you expect me to just move on now that I'm stuck with the person that I despise the most for the rest of my _life._ "

Len frowned at her words. "You speak as if I'm not dealing with the exact same circumstances as you are. I'm trying to think of what's realistic. It is the truth that I despise you and your character. But all I want now is a mutual agreement of ignorance. This is unpleasant, and I wish not to deal with you no longer than I must. So let's just agree…to not talk anymore."

The blonde young woman's wounded visage burned in anger towards her brother. "If you think it's that easy, fine! Let's do it.

Len looked away. "Thank you. So be it."


	3. Setting the Stage

**Chapter 3**

Len finally awoke from his troubled sleep, rubbing his eyes to clear his vision. He eyed the clock sitting on the coffee table: 5:27 in the morning. It was still dark outside, but one could easily see that morning was approaching, as the horizon's blackness was beginning to dull into a bright grey.

The young man slowly sat up, as the sofa groaned with the shifting of its burden. Len felt a strange sensation of weight on his body, and looking down, he saw layers of blankets covering him, protecting him from the cold.

Mr. Abbadon chuckled in gratitude, thankful that he was blessed with such a kind hostess. "I honestly could not thank you more Ms. Caraground…"

He thought for a moment to return to the shelter of the blankets and sleep once more, but Len knew that his time would soon be over. It was almost time for his twin to hit the stage, appearing wherever he would be when the sun rose.

His brows furrowed as he thought about the troubling dream he had. Len hoped that he'd be able to put last night behind him and move on from the nightmare he had just experienced. So Len quickly kicked off his covers, sighing as a yawn wrought its way past his lips. But he was instantly greeted with the chill of winter. Wincing, Len froze in place, watching his breath freeze white in the frigid air. Since the night before, it seemed that the stove had stopped giving out heat. Len shivered, and his hazy blue eyes searched the darkness for the obscure, black stove. Daylight would have been useful. But when Len finally found it in its little corner, he cautiously opened the hatch. He was met with only more blackness. The charred coals of the previous evening had died, and no hospitable heat was to be found. They were as cold as he was. Len pondered, short on time and tolerance of this numbing cold.

"Fire...Flame...Ignite...Ignis…?"Len thought back to his studies in black magick all those years ago. "A little ignis spell would be simple…" But then came into question his power. Did he still have anything left of his godly powers? Magick would only be controlled by those with innate powers. Ones who have been gifted by the gods at birth with a tiny remnant of their power. Why? Because the gods just thought it would be interesting.

Attempting to sift through the dossier of his memory, Len fuzzily recalled the steps of how to summon the flame of his inner hearth. He inhaled sharply, letting the air settle within him and mumbled a few unintelligible words. Len smiled as he felt the warm, almost spicy heat settle in his stomach, setting his emotions aflame acting as a sort of kindling. The fuel in his furnace intensified in its excitement, yearning for a means of escape. Only when he felt the air's heat becoming unbearable did he murmur the final word of summoning.

"Ignis"

The energy swirling within his belly exploded, finally given a passage of freedom through his left arm, surging to its destination: his fingertips. His words were the spark to ignite the fuel, and the air between his digits ignited in intense, but controllable, flame. The fire let out no smoke, but was alive, pulsing in its own heat emitting a gentle warmth within its intensity.

Len grinned, satisfied and somewhat surprised that he was able to recall this knowledge of so long ago. He grabbed a few bits of firewood sitting beside the stove and set them aflame, setting them inside the stove to stoke a fire. It only took a few minutes for the stove to bless the entire the cottage with its welcome balminess. Ms. Caraground would probably thank him later.

He checked the clock again: 6:20. Enough time to backtrack to the town where he started. But he had to secure his place here for shelter. Len couldn't just leave this place, and worry Ms. Caraground. To leave without any notice would be…rude. What to do?

He saw and quickly recognized the slightly ajar doorway that led to wherever the lady was sleeping. Deciding to walk in, the intruding former immortal soundlessly creeped into her room.

Len was struck with its bleakness. It was simple, with a dusty wood floor furnishing. A nightstand stood in the left corner beside the cot and a small rocking chair stood in the right side of the room. In its seat was an unfinished shawl sitting next to knitting needles and ball of yarn. Near it was a dresser with a small washbowl sitting on top of it. And in the room's center sat a measly cot where Miss. Caraground lay. The blanket covering her was thin, but her petite figure was well covered by it. Her hair, extremely long and thick, was spread out behind her, with some of its locks barely touching the floor.

Len walked even closer to the bed and stood before it, watching the woman in slumber. She was facing away from him, turned towards the wall. He hesitated to wake her, as he watched her chest rise and fall to her small, quiet breaths. The young man called out her name to wake her.

"Miss…Caraground?"

She barely stirred. And the blonde was unsure of what to do. He felt too uncomfortable to touch her, so he attempted to speak louder. It still didn't work, so he reached out to wake her. But the moment his hand touched her shoulder, her bright blue eyes shot open.

"Who-" She slowly turned towards him in surprise. "…Mr. Abbadon?"

The young man looked away, placing a hand to his face in discomfort. "Miss. Caraground… I need to speak to you about a certain matter."

Michaela turned to the left to clumsily clasp a previously unnoticed pair of glasses sitting on the nightstand, sloppily slipping the pair of spectacles on. The cold air hit her the moment the covers slid off her shoulders and she shivered. Her eyes glanced to meet a finished shawl hanging from the edge of her cot and slumped forward to grab it. She slowly shuffled into the warm embrace of the shawl, sighing in relief.

"Is it really necessary for you to wake me at this hour..? What is the time anyways?" She murmured

Len shifted his gaze frantically, back and forth. "It was 5:27 last I checked."

She immediately jumped out of bed. "5:27? I need to go…!"

The young lady frantically ran to the washbowl to rinse her face and hands, and began her morning routine. She opened the dresser to pull out a small mirror and contrastingly large hairbrush, proceeding to agitatedly brush her long locks of hair.

"Damn everything, the gods, my hair, this hairbrush, I'm going to be late-!"

"Late…?" Len muttered in surprise. How could anyone be 'late' this early in the morning? But surely enough, her panic only increased in intensity. Len was debating in his mind whether or not he should stop her. Quite unfamiliar in how to deal with women in these situations, he was awkwardly unsure of what to do.

"Miss. Caraground…what seems to be the matter?" He asked meekly.

Her arms froze in place, pausing from her restless brushing. She turned to him with a flustered and weak smile on her face. "Oh dear, Mr. Abbadon…I'm sorry. I need to go to town is all. I have to be there by 7:00," She turned to look outside of a nearby window. "-and it's nearly sunrise…!"

"Sunrise…?" The word triggered Len's attention, along with a sharp stab of pain to his head. He winced, and his vision blurred momentarily, his body's weight feeling like that of a boulder.

"...M-milady…do you suppose I could go with you?" He muttered while clutching his head.

She continued to stare at the window aimlessly lost in thought. "With me…?" Her arms finished brushing her now sleek and flowing locks of hair. " I suppose you could…It takes half an hour to get to town, then I have to open the shop…and then set the wares on and then…something about mice…and then..."

Len stood in place trying not to cry out with his newfound migraine. Perhaps this was a part of the curse…? Once again unsure of what to do, He stammered a mutter in an attempt to stop her flood of murmurings.

"Miss…Ms. Caraground…?" He reached out to tap her shoulder.

"O-oh!" Her eyes snapped back into focus. "I'm so sorry again, Mr. Abbadon! We shall depart for Ahsohn soon enough. It shouldn't take long! We'll make it just before sunrise. Now…could you please leave? I need to get dressed."

The young man nodded slowly, "Uhm-yes, terribly sorry. I'll wait in the foyer."

She turned at him one last time, looking downwards apologetically, "I'm sorry, for the third time, for all this trouble. Thank you for putting up with me."

Len smiled weakly in reply. "It's no trouble at all, milady. Thank you for letting me stay here!"

The woman smiled back, glad to know that she was not too much of a burden on her guest.

* * *

Len sat impatiently in the small porch of the cottage, fidgeting in the small, wooden chair that was provided. Once more, he looked through the ajar doorway to check the time on the clock.

6:31

The young man was on the verge of not giving a damn and running off. But as he thought this, he sighed, shaking his head. He had to, no matter what, maintain good relations with this woman. It's not every day when a woman picks up a homeless, suspicious man from the streets without a care in the world. This was a chance that he knew for sure would never get again.

And as this final thought sounded in his head, he heard the rustling of footsteps behind him.

"M-m-m-Mr. Avadonia! Ugh, at this rate i'll be fired for sure...I'm so sorry!"

The eponymous Mr. Avadonia once again was unsure of how to handle this. Miku Caraground stood before him, in disarray. He could tell that she was panicking.

"L-let's just go, Miss. Caraground," Len muttered. "Where's your horse?"

"Horse? Why would I have a horse?"

The young man shivered in fear, feeling the early morning air chill his bones. "I don't know. I just assumed that all people have them to...get around perhaps!"

Ms. Caraground shook her head. "I'm too poor to afford niceties like those...we have to walk! Just hurry with me!"

And she took off, stumbling down the path leading to the town of Ahsohn. For a moment, Len noticed the worn down, old soles of her shoes, the patches on her dress, and her clumsily made shawl. They certainly reaffirmed the viewer of the state of their owner. Poor.

Again, Len shook his head and chased after her. With his physique being superior to hers, it wasn't long before he caught up to her pace.

"Ms. Caraground…! At this rate, when will we make it to Ahsohn?" He exclaimed, slowing his strides to match hers.

She gave him a shy simper, steadying her brisk walk. "Sunrise!"

Her optimism failed to reach him. In his mind, he felt almost helpless. He had so many questions that he wasn't sure how to answer. When exactly was sunrise? What exactly would happen to him then? Would it be visible to other people? If so, how could he get away from Ms. Caraground? He could see the sun's first light beginning to peek over the horizon. And as if the sun was his literal enemy, another stab of pain struck through his head, leaving him with barely enough mental strength to keep walking.

"Ms. Caraground…" He stopped walking.

She hesitantly stopped her stride in concern. "Mr. Abbadon...What seems to be the matter?"

"Let us make our separate ways for now. I've a matter to tend to outside of town that I just recalled…" He weakly looked her in the eye with an equally frail smile.

Michaela seemed unable to read his pained expression, and her eyes blinked in silence. Confusion? Apathy?

Len was surprised with her lack of reply. But his growing pains only stressed his urgency for time. He had no clear idea of when the sun would exactly rise.

"I'll meet you again at the cottage later this evening. Thank you…" He tried to smile again to reassure her.

"Yes. I'll see you then, Mr. Abbadon." She gave a jarringly bright simper and turned away, leaving him alone on the cold forest path.

When he could no longer see her figure, he began to slowly walk again. His migraine was the worst that it had ever been. He laughed to himself, wondering if this annoying headache would come every morning. Len glanced up to the sky to gauge its color, getting a feel of the time. He supposed that it would only be a few minutes before sunrise. The small clumps of snow piled alongside the forest path began to glisten with light and warmth as the sun began to announce its arrival. Daylight was coming. Rilianne was coming…

Len thought it best to wander off of the forest path lest some traveling stranger came across the transformation. It would be best to not allow a stirring of unnecessary drama in these parts. But with each step, the pain in his head only seemed to drill itself ever more deeper into his skull. Even despite the cold weather, he could feel beads of his own sweat slowly dripping down his face. Feeling his limits approaching, he collapse in the thin snow to lean on a scraggy, barren oak tree. Knowing little of what to do, he looked up, noticing that he had a rather clear view of the morning sky. Was heaven laughing at him? Perhaps.

As if it even mattered. The whole world seemed to give even less of a damn, as he was doomed to become a part of its cruel normalcy. Len couldn't help but feel down for once. He had lost everything.

In his momentary introspective, Len noticed his vision start to flicker in and out of darkness. The pain of his headache began to dull against the internal pulse of his blood. But in the corner of his remaining vision, he could see a blinding light outlining a familiar figure. The sun...

Rilianne smiled as she watched the sun rise.


End file.
